Tape or ribbon unwinders are used to provide such tape, which oftentimes would be punched with coded information, to other instruments, such as a tape reader. In order to abrogate the necessity for rewinding operations, when such tape is to be reused, unwinders are used which permit the tape to be initially drawn from the radially innermost end, rather than from the outermost, thus the name center feed unwinder. Previously used devices have encountered difficulties such as adjacent lengths of the tape becoming bound or locked together or upon the structure of the unwinder. This has resulted in tape breakage, especially during high speed operation. Repair, as by splicing, is time consuming and may result in a loss of coded information. Braking devices have proved necessary in order to control tape rotation, and to prevent overrun. Prior attempts to solve such problems are exemplified in prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,393,985; 3,276,709; 1,751,192; 3,424,390; and 2,972,452.